“Continue to do the right thing!” – former Virginia Governor Mark Warner to Georgia Willis

Then Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)

What does obedience to God look like?

During our weekly Marching Through Culpeper prayer call on Tuesday Feb 17, Virginia Morton shared that the keyword the LORD gave her for this week is “Obedience.” That word, the scriptures Virginia shared, and the prayers that followed all spoke strongly to my spirit at the time.

This morning, I woke up very early and lay in bed reflecting. I heard the question, “What does obedience to God look like?” Then answers began pouring into my spirit. After about 15-20 minutes of listening, I got up and began writing what the LORD was downloading to me.

As I was typing today’s message, I was prompted out-of-the-blue to listen to my scheduled iTunes playlist for Day #19 because this is the 19th day of the month. That playlist began with the song “On My Knees” from Dennis Jernigan’s CD “Hands Lifted High.” That playlist also happened to include Chapter 19 of The Power Of A Praying Husband which is titled “Obedience.” That’s three times in two days the Holy Spirit brought that word to my attention. Clearly God is grabbing my attention. When this sort of thing happens, I believe He has a message for you too.

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In his death bed message, Jesus said “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing… As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. (John 15:5, 9-10) Clearly, abiding in Jesus’ love includes keeping His commandments.

So, what are some simple things that Jesus commanded us (you) to do?

1) “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” (Matt 22:37) Love is spelled T.I.M.E. It requires relationship, not religion. Love and hurry are incompatible. Therefore, to be spiritually healthy, you must ruthless eliminate hurry from your life.

A relationship requires two way communication. Do you know have a personal relationship with Jesus? Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Are you a sheep? Do you hear His voice? How often? Are you following Him? Do you dialog (not monologue) with Jesus daily? If not, how do you start?

Psalm 1:1-2 says, “Blessed is the man … (whose) delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.” When you have a close relationship with Jesus, you will meditate on the Word of God, day and night. The Bible is God’s love letter to you. When you spend quality time in relationship with Jesus every day, you will experience His uncondtional love and and that will spill over in your relationships with people.

2) “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:39) Loving your neighbor begins with loving and forgiving yourself. This includes resting and taking caring of the only body you will ever have. After all, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit ((1Co 6:19)) if you are born again. It means loving your neighbors where they are at without judging them (John 12:47). It means being merciful. It means forgiving unconditionally

3) Keep the Sabbath holy! God designed our bodies to need a day of rest each week. “‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.” (Le 23:3) Taking an entire day off completely from work each week demonstrates our trust in God.

4) “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise. (Eph 6:2) This is so deep and means so much more than most of us realize. Listening and obeying our parents, praying for them daily, and making godly choices are all ways we honor our them. Once again, love is spelled T.I.M.E.

5) “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. (Mt 5:37) This includes being on time (nearly all the time) and completing what you say you will in the time frame you specify. For most us, including me, this means saying “no” much more often.

6) “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Mt 6:33) Seeking first the kingdom of God means much more than just seeking first God. The LORD wants us

7) And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Col 3:17) This scripture is so rich. It means doing everything with excellence and a good attitude, whether we want to be doing it or not. It means speaking only words of life. Never, never, never be negative!

8) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her. (Eph 5:25) This means loving your wife unconditionally, regardless of her behavior or attitude. It means being patient and kind always (1 Cor 13:4-7). It means spending lots of quality time with your wife. It means listening to her and respecting her opinions as your helpmate. It means treating her as an equal partner in your relationship.

9) Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (Eph 5:22). This means showing unconditional respect, which is what husbands crave more than anything. It means encouraging him and being his top cheerleader. It means spending quality time with him. It means trusting God that he is working through your husband to lead your family.

10) Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Get it? THIS is the will of God. Where’s your joy on a scale of 1-10? How much time do you spend praying? How thankful are you in your current circumstances?

11) Live within your means and be debt free! Be content with what you have. Debt releasing is a key to realizing your dreams! “The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.” (Pr 22:7)

12) “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ (Mt 25:34) Compassionately caring for and SERVING the downtrodden is being Jesus to the world. How are doing in this regard? How can you improve?

Prayer Power
Jesus, thank You for today’s download. I’m convicted by much of what You had me write down. When I don’t know what I need, I need to get on my knees. When waves of doubt crash over me, I need to get on my knees. On my knees, I find refuge. On my knees, I find grace. On my knees, I can feel You like we’re meeting face to face. In Your hand, I find refuge. In Your hand, I find grace. In Your hand, I can feel You like we’re meeting face to face.

Blessings of the Day
1) Are you saved? – YouTube Video

2) Father’s Love Letter – YouTube Video

Blessings to hear Jesus’ voice and obey Him!

I invite and encourage you to comment on this blog post. Let your voice be heard. Incidentally, I do my best to only approve comments that speak life.

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The Holy Spirit is inviting YOU to become part of TEAM DESTINY. If you want more favor in your life, then join our team. Favor is always proportional to God’s assignment. That’s because the greater the assignment, the greater the adversity.

Journaling is the key to unlock your dreams!
Journaling is the key to unlock your DESTINY!

Is journaling biblical? Absolutely! Father God is the greatest Journaler of all times. The Bible is His journal – the most profound one of all times. And throughout time, the Holy Spirit has inspired millions of people to write to inspire others to greatness.

Blessings for divine provision and breakthroughs!

P.S. If you’re a small thinker and don’t want your faith to soar, this book is definitely not for you. But if you believe in a BIG God who has destined you for greatness, then you’ve come to the right place.